Cotton-chopping attachment for cultivators.



J. WALTHALL & O. G. CARTER.

COTTON SHOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR OULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WALTI-IALL AND OLIVER. C. CARTER, OF NORTH FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

COTTON-CHOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR CULTIVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Application filed July 22, 1911. Serial No. 639,966.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Jon): Vin/roam. and ()Livrn: C. Can'rnn, citizens of the United States, residing at North Fort \Vorth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Chopping Attachments for Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton chopping attachments for Cultivators, and it has for its object to :provide a device of this class which shall be simple in construction and thoroughly efficient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to produce a cotton chopping attaclnnent which may be readily applied to and used in connection with an ordinary riding or walking wheel cultivator.

lVith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that no limitation necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,--Figure 'l is a rear elevation showing the frame of a wheel cultivator to which the invention has been applied. Fig. 2- is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. l is a perspective view showing a part of the improved chopping device detached. Fig. 53 is a broken detail perspective showing parts of the chopper carrying shaft and the operating pinion. Fig. 6 is a detail view in plan, illustrating a modification.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

A in the drawing designates the arched axle of an ordinary wheel cultivator having the spindles B upon which the wheels C are mounted for rotation in the usual manner. Suitably clamped upon and extending downwardly from the spindles B, B is a downwardly extending yoke 1 which extends beneath the arched portion of the axle in a what longer than its mate which is designated 2. The arms 3, 4 of the U-shaped bridge piece, together with the yoke 1, af-

ford bearings for a shaft- 5 which is slidable in its bearings, said shaft being provided at its lower end with a radlally extending arm (3 having a terminal eye 7 nherein a shaft or handle 8 is adjustably secured by means of a set screw 9, said shaft or handle carrying a chopping blade or hoe 10. It will be noted that the uprights 2, 2, as well as the yoke 1, are connected with the cultivator axle in an inclined position so that the shaft 5 will be sustained in an oblique or inclined position. It follows that when said shaft is revolved, the arm 6 rarrying the chopping hoe will be rotated in an inclined plane and that the chopper will engage the ground, and the row of plants which is being operated upon at the lower end of such incline only, while at the upper limit of its movement it will clear the plans that are operated upon.

.An upright 11. is securely clamped upon one of the spindles l3, and said upright, together with the upright 2, is provided with bearings for a horizontally disposed shaft 12 :arrying at one end a bevel gear 13 which meshes with a bevel pinion 14 which is mounted upon the shaft 5 upon which it is feathered so as to rotate therewith, while the shaft is capable of sliding longitudinally of the pinion 14'. The latter is held against longitudinal displacement between the arms 2) and l of the U-shaped bridge piece which connects the upper ends of the uprights 2, 2 l

Pivotally mounted upon the shaft 12 is a frame 15, the side members of which afford bearings for a shaft 16 lying parallel to the shaft 12 with which it is connected by a chain 17 and sprockets 18. The shaft 15 carries a friction pulley 19 that engages a friction wheel 20 which is suitably clamped upon one of the traction wheels C from which motion is derived when the machine is in operation said motion being transmittcd through the shaft 12 and bevel gearing 13, 14 to the chopper carrying shaft 5.

One of the uprights supporting the shaft 12 carries a segment rack 21 adapted to be engaged by the spring actuated stop member 22 upon the frame 15, which latter may thus be maintained with the friction pulley 19 in contact with the friction wheel 20, or it may be lifted and suspended in a raised position when it is desired to throw the mechanism out of operation.

The yoke 1 is provided with a lug 23 upon which is pivoted a bell crank lever, one arm of which, 24, has a bifurcated end straddling the chopper carrying shaft 5 just below a collar 26 which is fixed upon said shaft. The other arm, 27, of the bell crank has a lateral extension 28 which may be utilized as a pedal or as a handle, as the case may be. It will be seen that by manipulating the bell crank, the shaft 5 may be elevated to such an extent that the row of plants will be cleared entirely by the chopping device, as at times may be desirable, without throwing the entire operating mechanism out of gear.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. The improved attachment comprises merely the yoke 1, the uprights 2, 2 and 11 and the parts carried thereby, and said attachment may be readily clamped or otherwise secured in position for operation upon a cultivator frame of ordinary construction, provided only that such frame is supported by traction wheels from which motion may be derived to actuate the moving parts of the attachment.

The construction of the attachment is such that it may be readily applied to cultivators of almost any conventional pattern, thus enabling the farmer or planter to utilize the frame structure of a single machine for several purposes, and thereby economizing in the cost of machinery.

The improved attachment is simple and inexpensive in construction and thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is provided.

lVhen desired and preferred, the frame 15, the auxiliary shaft 16, the chain 17 and the sprockets 18 may be dispensed with, as shownin Fig. 6 of the drawings. this construction is used a friction pulley, here designated 19, will be mounted directly upon the shaft 12 to engage the friction wheel 20 which is clamped upon one of the traction wheels C. It is evident that when this construction is resorted to motion will be transmitted directly from the traction wheel to the shaft 12 and from the lat ter to the chopper carrying shaft. It is When further evident that under such construction the segment rack 21 and the stop member 22 shown in Figs. 1 to 3,.inclusive, will be dispensed with.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A cotton chopping attachment for cultivators comprising a yoke and a plurality 'of uprights, a U-shaped bridge piece connecting two of said uprights, bearings upon the yoke and the U-shaped bridge piece, a chopper carrying shaft mounted slidably in said bearings, and means for driving the chopper carrying shaft including a shaft supported. for rotation upon some of the uprights, a bevel gear upon said shaft and a bevel pinion feathered upon the chopper carrying shaft and meshing with said bevel gear, said bevel pinion being confined between the arms of the U-shaped bridge piece to permit the chopper carrying shaft to slide therethrough.

2. In a cotton chopping attachment for cultivators, a yoke, a plurality of uprights, a U-shaped bridge piece connecting two of the uprights, a chopper carrying shaftslidably supported for rotation upon the yoke and the U-shaped bridge piece, a bell crank fulcrumed upon the yoke and having a bifurcated arm straddling the chopper carrying shaft, and a collar upon said shaft engaged by the bifurcated arm of the bell crank.

In a cotton chopping attachment for cultivatcrs, a yoke, a plurality of uprights, a Ushaped bridge piece connecting two of the uprights, bearings upon the U-shaped bridge piece and upon the yoke, a chopper carrying shaft supported slidably in said bearings, a bevel pinion slidably mounted upon the chopper carrying shaft and confined between the arms of the U-shaped bridge piece, a counter shaft supported upon some of the uprights and having a bevel gear meshing with the pinion upon the chopper carrying shaft, a frame pivoted upon the counter shaft, a shaft journaled upon the frame and carrying a friction pulley, means for transmitting motion from the latter shaft to the counter shaft, a friction wheel engaged by the friction pulley, and means for sustaining the frame having the friction pulley carrying shaft in various positions with relation to the friction wheel.

In. testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN /VALTHALL. OLIVER O. CARTER.

lVitnesses H. M. CHAPMAN, J. W. OREED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, vVll'ashing'ton, I). G. 

